For the systems either side of SAP, not SAP itself
SAP Integration
SAP holds the record for orders, inventory or master data, and every system built on stale copies of it is working from yesterday's truth. This practice builds the contracts that keep SAP and its neighbours in agreement, whether that means one clean interface or replacing years of fragile point-to-point connections.
How an SAP integration gets designed here
IDocs, RFCs, middleware and the monitoring an interface needs once other systems depend on it.
90 secSample frame · video pending01Before choosing an interface method
IDoc, BAPI or API is a real decision
The interface method gets picked on what a prior developer already knew more often than what the systems actually need. Four questions settle it properly.
Is the system on the other end SAP-aware?
Another SAP system or an SAP-certified connector often favours IDocs or BAPIs, which speak SAP's native structures directly.
Does the other system expect a modern API?
Cloud-native platforms and modern SaaS tools usually expect REST or OData, which need a translation layer in front of SAP.
Is this a batch exchange or real-time need?
IDocs suit high-volume batch exchange well. Real-time lookups favour a synchronous API call instead.
How many systems will eventually connect this way?
One connection can be direct. Several current or future connections justify a middleware layer instead of repeated point-to-point work.
| IDoc / BAPI | REST / OData API | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | SAP-to-SAP or batch exchange | Modern SaaS and real-time calls |
| Typical volume | High-volume batch | Lower volume, on demand |
| Setup complexity | SAP-native, well understood | Needs an API layer in front of SAP |
| Failure handling | SAP's own queue and monitoring | Custom retry and error handling |
02Agreed before the interface is built
The ledger that keeps integration honest
Integration engagements fail when ownership of a failed message is unclear after go-live. This ledger fixes what you bring, what we connect, what returns, and what stays under your control on both ends.
- Your side
You bring
- The third-party system and its integration capabilities
- The SAP objects and transactions that need to be exposed
- Expected data volume and required update frequency
- Our side
We build
- An IDoc, BAPI or API-based connection matched to the systems involved
- Error handling and retry logic for failed messages
- Monitoring for interface volume and failure rate
- Your side
You receive
- A working, monitored connection between SAP and the third-party system
- Documentation of every message type and mapping used
- An error queue with visibility into what failed and why
Never leaves you
- The SAP system and the third-party system, unchanged in ownership
- The decision on what data is allowed to cross the boundary
- The commercial relationship with the third-party vendor
Where the line sitsWe build the connective tissue; you keep both systems and the call on what they are allowed to share.
03From mapping to monitored traffic
Four stages, each closing on evidence
Integrations that break quietly usually skipped a stage here. This system closes each one with something a receiving team could verify.
Map the data before connecting
Fields, transactions and update frequency are mapped between SAP and the target system before any interface gets built.
Every field that needs to crossBuild the interface to a spec
The interface is specified and reviewed with the receiving team before implementation starts, catching mismatches while cheap to fix.
A contract both sides can verifyAdd error handling and retries
Failed messages land in a visible error queue with retry logic, instead of vanishing into a log nobody checks.
Failures that surface, not disappearShip with monitoring live
Interface volume and failure rate are visible from day one, so a stuck queue is caught by a dashboard, not a reconciliation report weeks later.
Volume and failure rate on a dashboard
04What actually moves the number
Four drivers, priced from the interface map
SAP integration work is priced against the mapping exercise, because these four factors change scope by multiples.
Number of systems needing connection
One target system integrates faster than a landscape where five downstream systems all need SAP data kept current.
Interface method required per system
Native IDoc exchange costs less to build than a modern API layer that has to translate SAP's structures for a cloud system.
Legacy point-to-point interfaces to replace
Consolidating years of undocumented direct connections costs more than building a new interface on a clean landscape.
Monitoring and alerting depth required
A single low-volume interface needs less monitoring investment than a high-volume master data feed running every few minutes.
05Evidence and proof
Interfaces that surfaced failures instead of hiding them.
Integration proof is a message that failed loudly instead of silently and systems that finally agree. Every record here waits for written client approval before production.
Explore case studiesA warehouse system that finally agreed with SAP on inventory.
Tern's third-party warehouse system disagreed with SAP on stock counts every day. An IDoc-based interface with monitored error handling brought both systems into agreement.
- Daily manual reconciliation hours
- Cut to zero
- Inventory mismatch rate
- Under 1%
Nine legacy point-to-point interfaces replaced with one monitored layer.
Nexa Foundry ran nine undocumented direct connections into SAP built over a decade. Consolidating them onto a middleware layer gave every interface a visible health status.
- Interfaces consolidated
- 9
- Interfaces with visible monitoring
- 9 of 9, up from 0
For the first time we could see a failed message before a customer noticed. That dashboard alone paid for the work.
Sample · pending client approval
06Read this first
When integration is not the right entry point
Building a formal interface for data that already syncs reliably through a supported standard connector is wasted effort. The exits are marked plainly. When integration is justified, it runs on standard SAP connectors, common iPaaS platforms and REST or OData standards.
- SAP Implementation
The problem is inside SAP, not around it
If a module itself is misconfigured, fixing the configuration is more direct than building an interface around the symptom.
A supported standard connector already exists
Many common SAP-to-SaaS connections have a vendor-supported connector that beats a custom-built interface on cost and support.
- Team extension
You need integration engineers, not a delivery layer
If your team already owns the integration architecture and needs capacity, team extension fits better than a commissioned build.
| Shape | Best when | You direct | We carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoped build | Systems and scope are known | Data ownership decisions | Interface design and delivery |
| Consolidation programme | Many legacy interfaces need replacing | Migration priorities each phase | Middleware build and cutover |
| Team extension | Your leads own the integration strategy | Architecture and standards | Named engineers and continuity |
07Straight answers
Asked before an integration budget is approved.
01How is this different from SAP implementation?
Implementation changes SAP itself: modules, configuration and migration. This practice changes what connects to SAP without touching the core. A project can need both, scoped and risk-managed separately.
02Do you use IDocs, BAPIs or modern APIs?
Whichever fits the system on the other end, decided against volume, real-time needs and whether that system already speaks SAP's native formats.
03Can you replace our old point-to-point interfaces?
Yes, interfaces get migrated onto a consolidated layer one at a time, each verified against the old connection before it gets retired.
04What does SAP integration cost?
Pricing follows the number of systems, interface method and monitoring depth required, from the initial mapping exercise. A single interface costs a fraction of a full consolidation programme.
05How do you handle a failed integration message?
Failed messages land in a visible error queue with retry logic and alerting, so a stuck message gets caught by monitoring rather than a customer complaint.
06Can you work alongside our existing middleware or iPaaS platform?
Yes, integrations are built to fit whatever middleware or iPaaS platform you already run, rather than introducing a new one to manage.
07What happens to interfaces during an SAP upgrade or migration?
Every interface gets catalogued and tested against the upgraded or migrated environment before cutover, so a module change does not silently break a connection nobody remembered.